As a prototypical Lake Owners' Manual,
Crystal Lake - Life or Death (CLLD) is a significant book. It resulted from discussions
by local citizens who formed an Ad Hoc Committee to the Benzie County Public Works
Department. This Committee raised concerns about two issues: (1) present and future
water quality problems of the Crystal Lake Watershed, and (2) absence of an equitable
and effective plan for watershed management.

As part of the Crystal Lake Association's initiative to implement a comprehensive
lake-protection plan, this handbook has been prepared to provide area residents with
practical information on how to manage their properties in a manner to protect the
health and beauty of Crystal Lake. The topics of safety and activity on the water
use are also discussed. This handbook contains specific information for homeowners
on how to protect Crystal Lake through proper lakefront care, lakeside landscaping,
and best practices for septic-system maintenance. Background information, such as
the lake's physical characteristics and the definition of water quality, is presented
to provide context for the material presented. The persuasive evidence is that our
collective efforts and actions will help preserve the exceptional quality of Crystal
Lake for many years to come.

The Crystal Lake Watershed and
contiguous watersheds have been the subject of exploratory and scientific investigations
since the early 19th century. Together with two larger riverine watersheds, the Platte
River Watershed to the north and the Betsie River Watershed to the south, and some
coastal watersheds to the west, it comprises a portion of the greater Lake Michigan
Watershed. The Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is also contiguous to the north.
The region of northwestern Lower Michigan containing these watersheds share many
common features in geology, topography, ecology, and climate, as described in the
diverse environmental studies cited in the following summaries.

The Crystal Lake Watershed has
a long and varied environmental history. Manuscripts describing the unique ecological
niches are often buried in hard-to-obtain books or journals, or in limited editions
of private printings.

This reference section is being established to better acquaint our readers with some
of these rare resources. Selections will be added in the future.

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